Score Predictions for Charlotte Hornets vs. Boston Celtics

The Charlotte Hornets (31-31) travel to play the Boston Celtics (41-20) on a quick turnaround after beating the Dallas Mavericks in the Spectrum Center last night, 117-90.

The Hornets have the longest active win streak in the Eastern Conference right now at five in a row. What do our Hornets on SI Staff think about Charlotte's chances to topple one of the best in the East?:

Owen Watterson: Celtics 104, Hornets 99

We've come a long way from the days of Boston playing Charlotte on league pass… all eyes of the league will be on this game tonight. Matt Alquiza mentioned this on our Buzz City Breakdown YouTube video from yesterday, but this is a measuring stick game. It's the kind of game I don't know that I've seen Charlotte win many times in my life. Even in just the regular season.

Kon Knueppel mentioned earlier this year that the OKC win on the road in early January changed how the team viewed itself. This is the kind of game that puts your newfound mental fortitude to the test, and that Hornets’ response will be fascinating to see in real-time, if it comes. If the Hornets win this game against my better judgment, it changes everything for how we talk about this team’s postseason chances.

A win here, and you stop thinking about the play-in. You start thinking about Philadelphia, the Hornets' pre-Boston 2.5-game deficit to the 76ers, and their chances of being the 6th seed outright.

I just don't think Charlotte’s there yet. On the cusp, but not quite yet— Boston takes its championship advantages against a young team down the stretch and beats Charlotte close.

Owen O'Connor: Hornets 115, Celtics 112

I can’t believe I just picked the Hornets to beat the Celtics, but here we are. Charlotte has won 15 of their last 18, and is beating down on teams during those wins. While Boston looks like they haven’t lost a step without Jayson Tatum, they've had their struggles against the better teams in the league, who Charlotte might be at this point. Tonight will likely be a first-round preview, and it'll be a great test to see how the Hornets look against one of the East’s top threats.

Zachary Roberts: Celtics 113, Hornets 108

Can the Hornets beat the Celtics with Jayson Tatum still sidelined? Absolutely. Will they? I'm not so sure. The Celtics remain a great team even without Tatum. The Hornets have handled great teams during this impressive run dating back to December. However, my logic here is simply that they won't beat every good team, and clutch-time continues to be a weakness for this young team. If they're in a tight game with a veteran, good team (i.e., Houston and Cleveland last month), they tend to come up just short.